True Love's Kisses
by Faenea
Summary: Helga always knew who she would marry. Once she caught him, her life was a series of True Love's Kisses. A response for XxXRegretXxX's Five Kisses Competition. AU


Helga Hufflepuff always knew who she would one day marry. He was a magically gifted lad in her village, always the best at everything and had offers to apprentice with many masters. His chosen field of study though was potions. He was a natural at potions and became a master in short measure. But unfortunately for Helga, he never noticed her while they were young. Helga being shy tended to fade into the background, or more aptly as a herbology apprentice, into the ground. There was one fortune to Helga always being with her plants. It was simple for her to be around her secret crush without it seeming contrived. Being so naturally gifted at potions, her love often came to harvest ingredients needed for his concoctions. It was on one of those harvesting trips that her love finally noticed Helga.

He was a handsome one, dark hair usually tied back at the nape of his neck, green eyes like the grass in summer, chiseled features and a lithe body that showed that regardless of his preference for potions he was not inactive. Helga was tending the devil's snare when he stopped, asking her to direct him to the ingredient he was searching for. Her earth brown eyes met his green and for an instant neither of them could breathe. His magic recognizing its mate reached for hers and swirled around the couple. The touch of his magic against hers was like a first kiss, tempting and teasing her senses. Her magic against his was a teasing touch, lightly feathering against his senses and inciting his passion for more. After that earth shaking moment, he asked to court her and she naturally agreed. Holding her eyes with his, he brought her hand to his lips. A chaste press of dry lips against her fingertips gave promise for another day.

Their courting went quickly, he knew what he wanted and she having known for longer than him, put up no fight. Her parents were pleased with the match and it was with pride that they agreed to a betrothal. At the betrothal announcement she smiled up at her future husband and him down at her. Their magic swirled continuously against them and he gave into his urges, brushing his lips against her cheek in a moment of great happiness. To her it felt like heaven's angels had descended to live in great joy in her heart.

Their betrothal was as quick as their courting. In short order they had a wedding organized and were standing before their cleric in great happiness and anticipation. Vows were exchanged and blessings were laid upon their marriage. And at long last, he held her in his arms to place a kiss to her lips as man and wife. At the first press of lip to lip, their magic swirling became a cascade of magic flowing from one to the other. It could only be described as "true love's first kiss" and their happiness spilled out to their guests, allowing them to feel the love between bride and groom.

Years passed and the happiness never faded from their marriage. After they both finished their apprenticeships they moved from their small village, traveling to learn more about magic and the world around them. After two years of travel and learning they discovered that their love had borne fruit. Helga was pregnant. They decided to settle at the next village they came to and raise their family. Her pregnancy was not easy. She had morning sickness throughout and mood swings that she often unleashed on her poor husband. But in the end, it was worth it and the small village of Meadville grew by two. Twin boys were borne on a cool spring morning after a day and a half of labor. And despite the pains of the birth, Helga was still smiling when her husband joined her after the births. The look on his face was indescribable, green eyes were lit with joy and love, as he gazed down at his family now grown by two. Kneeling at her bedside, he looked at her and with tears in his eyes leaned down to give her a kiss. It was soft, coaxing a response out of her not with force but subtlety. Tears dripped down her cheeks, mixed from his eyes and hers, tears of great joy and relief that after such a long and arduous pregnancy and birth he had his precious love still and they had created such wonderfully beautiful children together.

As their children grew together (with a couple more added for good measure) the couple began to think of their education. In this small town, there weren't many skilled in magic. As a matter of fact, the strongest in the village was her husband and closely followed by her. Their sons would need to leave to find a master to apprentice to, unless, somehow they could create an environment that would bring new talented masters in. Or perhaps what they really needed to do was teach their children themselves. But having more talented people would be a good idea.

As they were contemplating this, two families came to the village, a warrior wizard of great talent named Godric Gryffindor and his wife, a talented witch named Soibhan with their three children and a wizard named Sebastian and his wife, an extremely powerful witch named Rowena Ravenclaw who had four children of their own. Both women were expecting, and their group had decided to move to Meadville from their remote farms to provide more safety for their families.

Helga and her husband were very happy to see such talent move into the village and in short order they had become great friends with the two families. The children were similar ages and could play together and provide companionship. The three couples began to gravitate toward each other, often discussing the future and the poor education options available for the children of Scotland.

One day Godric said, quite out of the blue, that as six talented individuals they should create a school and teach the children themselves. The men continued along these lines for a time, mentioning what could be done, and how they could convert the old castle several miles away that had been abandoned some years back into the school. The women, taking notes as the men spoke, later gathered and discussed the practical aspects of running a school and decided that it could in fact be done.

Setting up the school in the old castle took very little time especially once they took on house elves to cook, clean and decorate to their specifications. In short order they were ready to invite the magical children in the area to be educated. A start date was decided on as the first of September 975 and would run through the first of June 976. The calendar would be followed for all years following subsequently.

The six adults decided that Sebastian would be the first headmaster and administrator of the school, dubbed Hogwarts by the children for a reason not known to the adults. The name stuck though as no other names were offered up. The adults would split teaching duties, Rowena teaching Divination and Charms, Sebastian teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, Godric teaching Transfiguration and Mundane and Magical Combat, Soibhan teaching Care of Magical Creatures, Helga teaching Herbology and Healing, and her husband Salazar teaching Potions and History of Magic.

September the first dawned and Helga woke before her husband in their new bed at the castle where they would be living from then on. Stretching she smiled and nudged her husband gently to wake him. He woke with a smile already on his face and took her face in his hands, drawing her down to his lips in a beautiful good morning kiss. A gentle press of lips, a tilt of the head, a slide of tongues over lips and a duel initiated. Their magic, so used to being conjoined, swayed around them in contentment. The years together had been kind to the couple and their magic showed great harmony responding to the other with no conscious thought. This was just another day in the rest of their lives.

Helga Hufflepuff always knew who she would marry. And once he really saw her, Salazar Slytherin knew it too. From simple apprentices in a small village, betrothed then wedded, becoming parents and eventually providing the education for the children of Scotland, it was all a series of True Love's Kisses.

AN: This is loosely a response to XxXRegretXxX's Five Kisses Competition. Though it is not submitted for judging, I hope it is received well.

Disclaimer: Not mine so don't sue.


End file.
